Lego Train SetOne of the best gifts I ever Received!by Bob Sampson What would Santa have brought down our chimney? I left my bedroom on the second floor and padded down the stairs to the family room, where the Christmas tree was--a white tacky, plastic number that grew to represent this festive day to me. What greeted me was a site I still remember over forty years later. It was a Lego train set that my parents had gone to the trouble to buy for me. Lego trains are bigger than S scale. S Scale as some of you will know, is larger than HO scale. The trains have heft and fill your hand, or are too big for your hands when you are only five. The transformer had a speed gage which I loved. You could choose at what speed to run your engine at, I think I chose to cruise at 60 miles per hour but might run it at over 100 on the straight aways. I was careful not to derail. I had important packages and needless to say, passengers I had to deliver safely to their destinations. My family had painted a large 4' by 8' board green. They had a mini-tree forest and there were lichen hedges to complete the scene. There was an operating train crossing that would set off lights and bells when the train approached. Moreover, the man at the factory would react when you stopped in front of his chute and pressed a button. A box would slide down the chute into the waiting box car. We were a little behind schedule. But that was okay as soon the boxcar door would close and off thetrain would go I imagined to unload her cargo in some far off miniature Lego city. There were no computer games when I was five, no Playstation 3. Life was simpler then. But I could spend hours with that Lego train and imagine alternate futures I might have. There were no thoughts of being a doctor, lawyer, accountant nor teacher for me then. Being the train crossing man did not enthuse me. I didn`t really relish being that factory guy in the blue suit and hat. Ididn`t merely want to to push a box down a chute, I wanted to drive that train. Would I be the engineer? I thought so. That was the only job for me. And I could be anything I wanted at five. Santa didn`t give me this Lego train. But it didn`t matter. My family gave me one of the best presents I have ever received. To Lego Trains
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